1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emergency signaling device for use in health care institutions, specifically a pull cord operated call panel device.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of healthcare, proper and effective means of communication are vitally important at all levels. Specifically, communication between patients and the nursing staff is critical to providing optimum patient care. A number of advances have been made to allow for more effective means of connecting patients with the nursing staff. One such advancement is a nurse call system, which uses telecommunication to convey audio messages between patient and the hospital staff. These telecommunication systems were originally developed to utilize a simple point to point communication method accomplished through the use of a patient and nurse telephone.
These nurse call systems have developed into complex communication networks that connect a large number of patients to a number of different members of the nursing staff. Generally, each patient is linked to a nurse call master station. Nurses that are roaming throughout the hospital wing are connected to the nurse call master station through a number of different methods ranging from pagers to the state of the art voice over IP VOCERA communications badge. These roaming nurses are able to address each individual patient's needs, which are transmitted through the nurse call network.
A number of devices and methods are used to initiate the transmission of a patient's message within the nurse call system network. In the simplest form, a telephone or intercom is used to convey the audio message from the actual patient. In other methods, actuators are triggered thus sending a signal representing a specific message or situation to the hospital staff. More complex methods use timers to initiate a call, such as a pain medication reminder, after the passing of a specific time interval.
One of the most common methods of initiating the transmission of a patient's message is through the use of an electrical switch activated with an emergency pull cord. Electrical switch activation through the use of a pull cord has existed in the prior art for nearly a century and has been used in a number of applications. U.S. Pat. No. 1,081,884 issued to E. C. and F. W. Bertognolli describes a cord that is used as a trip wire to activate an electric alarm switch that warns of an intruder. U.S. Pat. No. 2,680,842 issued to Opphile describes a pull cord activated electrical switch that is used to control a flashlight on a fishing rod. In the event that fish bites the line, thus pulling the cord, the flashlight is powered on. U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,448 issued to Schneider and U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,555 issued to Gould both detail an electrical switch that is triggered with a pull cord actuator. Specifically, the triggering of the pull cord actuator completes the electrical circuit, thus allowing current to flow and creating a signal.
Pull cord activated electrical switches, as mentioned previously, are used in hospitals to send a message from a patient to a nurse. Specifically, these pull cords are designed to relay the message that the patient is in an emergency situation and requires immediate assistance from a nurse. Due to the ability of a pull cord to be triggered from the floor, the method is most often used in areas of a hospital where the patient is at risk for falling, such as the bathroom. Pull cord activated emergency alarms are used throughout hospitals. They are used in situations when a patient is in a serious emergency, therefore sending out an alarm to the entire nursing staff. The problem is that often times, a patient needs to make a call from the bathroom that does not signal an emergency situation. One example of this situation is when a patient is finished in the bathroom and needs assistance getting back to bed. Often times, the patient will activate the pull cord, thus sending out an emergency signal to all nursing staff, even though the situation is not an actual emergency.
There is therefore a need for a device and method that is used in the hospital bathroom in conjunction with an emergency pull cord, by which a patient can activate a non-emergency related hospital staff signal.
The present invention overcomes these challenges by creating a single gang emergency call panel that combines an emergency pull cord with a switch that is used to trigger the sending of a non-emergency signal. The device utilizes a compact design allowing it to be mounted in a convenient position on the bathroom wall. Finally, the single gang panel is labeled in a clear and user-friendly manner permitting the easy operation of the device.